Dead Space Creator Glen Schofield Announces Retirement from Gaming

Glen Schofield, the creator of Dead Space, has announced his retirement from the day-to-day work of the gaming industry. Schofield shared the news in an emotional LinkedIn video, thanking fans, colleagues, and the industry for their support throughout his career. He also acknowledged the current hardships in the industry but expressed optimism about the great minds still making great games.

Schofield did not specify a reason for his retirement, but he had a successful 35-year career. Starting as an artist, he rose through the ranks to become a producer at EA, working on James Bond and Lord of the Rings games. After Bond, EA gave him the freedom to create a new IP: Dead Space. With Visceral Games, Schofield crafted one of the scariest games ever, which drew inspiration from Resident Evil but stood out as fresh, unique, and terrifying.

Following Dead Space's success, Activision recruited Schofield to co-found Sledgehammer Games with Michael Condrey. They worked on a third-person Call of Duty game set in Vietnam for six months before being asked to co-develop Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 after Infinity Ward's implosion in 2010. Despite being new to the franchise, Sledgehammer helped deliver a successful trilogy finale and became a core Call of Duty team.

Schofield later led development on the innovative but divisive Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and then returned to the franchise's roots with Call of Duty: WWII in 2017. He eventually left Sledgehammer to work on The Callisto Protocol, a Dead Space-inspired sci-fi horror game. That was his last project, though he pitched a fourth Dead Space game to EA around the time of the 2023 remake.

Schofield contributed greatly to gaming through his games and his commitment to creativity. His presence will be missed, but his impact will endure.